South Africa rugby coach Peter de Villiers labelled former All Black Craig Dowd "stupid" for criticism made about the new Springboks mentor.

Dowd added fuel to an already volatile build up to the second rugby Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks this week when he described de Villiers as a "puppet" and questioned his coaching credentials.

De Villiers, in his first season with the Springboks as South Africa's first black coach, was a surprise choice to replace the World Cup-winning coach Jake White.

Although he safely guided the Springboks through his first three Tests, against Wales and Italy, his reputation was dented when the world champions lost 19-8 to the All Blacks in the opening Tri-Nations Test last weekend.

In a radio interview, 60-Test veteran Dowd said the Springboks have some good staff but "de Villiers is merely a puppet", drawing an angry response from the South African at a press conference on the eve of the second Test.

"It's quite stupid to make a call like that," said de Villiers, who coached the "Emerging Boks" who won an IRB tournament in Romania last year, and the "Baby Boks" who won the world Under 21 championship in 2005.

"I don't know Craig Dowd. As close as I got to him was in the TV in my sitting room. I don't know if ever saw me or knows me.

"What's his agenda? If it is racism or not, I've found out that in South Africa it's a big thing, racism, but in other countries, especially here and in Australia it is big too, really big, so maybe you can ask him that."

The South African Rugby chairman Mpumelelo Tshume also issued a statement saying Dowd's remarks were offensive and calling for an apology.

The South African Honorary Consul to New Zealand, Gregory Fortuin, also called on Dowd to apologise.

Fortuin said he had respect for Dowd's achievements as an All Blacks prop but found his comments "offensive".

When de Villiers was appointed on a majority vote in January, South African rugby president Oregan Hoskins acknowledged the desire to broaden the racial base of rugby had been a factor in the appointment.

"I want to be honest with South Africa and say the appointment did not take into account only rugby reasons," Hoskins told reporters.

"We took into account the issue of transformation in rugby very, very seriously when we made the appointment."

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